SOS: Stacie's Organizing Solutions

🏆 I have 17,000+ LinkedIn connections. This impresses many people. It shouldn’t though, and here’s why… I recently put “my network” to the test. 💡I have a concept that doesn’t exist in the marketplace. Within my industry, I see a gap—one that only the savviest and most strategic of HR thought leaders are perfectly positioned to help bridge. So…I’m looking to partner with early adopters in the HR space to bring this idea to life. On February 6th I randomly sent out 19 direct messages to HR professionals—some to people whose names were already top of mind and others to people I rediscovered through a LinkedIn search of my network. These were people I know (with two exceptions). My message was clear: ✅ BLOT (Bottom Line on Top): Looking to tap into your network/pick your brain! And my two closing “calls to action” were: ✅ CTA #1: Who in your network would think this is a clever and cool idea and be willing to hop on a call with me? ✅ CTA #2: What do you think of it? I kept it short but provided a brief overview of my concept—enough for them to understand it and share feedback. Here’s how it played out: 🔹 8 people have not yet read the message. 🔸 Two of them I see regularly on LinkedIn. 🔸 Three of them I don’t see on LinkedIn, but I do see them on Facebook. Maybe this isn’t their platform. 🔸 The other three? No clue. 🔹 11 people read it. 🔸 Only 3 responded. 1️⃣ One replied the same night—a former direct report. She found the concept to be innovative but is in a new role and needed time to assess demand. 2️⃣ One responded 12 days later—she’s job searching and said she couldn’t help right now. 3️⃣ One responded 15 days later—a childhood friend. She loved the idea but said her company was on a budget freeze. I followed up with each of these three, acknowledging their unique circumstances and offering any relevant support. And then I reiterated my original ask: “Who in your network would think this is a clever and cool idea and would be willing to hop on a call with me?” And then… crickets. No further response. 🔹 And then there were the 8 who read it but never responded. A few of these 8 I see on Facebook, so again, maybe LinkedIn isn’t their platform of choice. Some I haven’t spoken to in years. One watches all my Instagram stories but never replies to my DMs. One I just bumped into recently, and we even talked about getting together. ❓So I have questions. 💭 Is this just how LinkedIn messaging works? 💭 Are people hesitant to reply when there’s an ask? 💭 Do people feel uncomfortable facilitating introductions? 💭 And if we can’t network with the people we’ve built relationships with… what is LinkedIn really for? I’m genuinely curious—have you had similar experiences? How do you make LinkedIn networking actually work?

Things really suck (understatement). The world is full of chaos. Uncertainty is constant. And yet ... we still have businesses to run, families to show up for, and stuff to do. Within it all, we can still make meaningful decisions, build impact-driven businesses, lead with clarity, be kind, and laugh a lot. We have to. That’s the revolution. Most problems (personally and professionally) stem from running on autopilot. We default to outdated strategies, habits, and reactions instead of consciously choosing what actually works. We don’t have to absorb every crisis, market shift, or expectation. We can be filters, not sponges. We can change the lens. We can turn the suck into something that matters. No one has the perfect answer (there's no such thing). But how we engage with the chaos? That changes everything. Let’s make things actually work ... for you. #WellnessIntelligence #NotAllAdviceIsCreatedEqual

You know that sinking feeling when a client isn’t just being difficult—they’re dodging their obligations? That was Ick (not his real name, but fitting). Lamborghini-driving, “businessman” who proudly said: “Whatever she wants, just do it”—until it was time to pay for something he didn’t want to pay for. The Job That Started It All Ick hired me to organize his 28-year-old girlfriend’s clothes while she partied in Miami. We’ll call her Barbie. Scope: declutter, optimize, and create functional storage for her overflowing wardrobe. Challenges: 📌 Small condo, zero available storage. 📌 No client input to purge or make decisions. 📌 3 suitcases + 5-7 XL moving boxes packed with clothes to sort and find homes for. I told Ick upfront this was a multi-day job and asked if he had a budget or a number of hours he wanted us to stick to. The answer to both was “no” and the direction was to do whatever she wanted/whatever was needed. Day 1: Success. Ick was thrilled and understood additional storage solutions were going to be required and acquired. “Send me the shopping list, I’ll order everything in time for Day 2.” A few hours later, I advised him the list would be delayed—I needed Barbie’s input first. Silence. No response from Ick to updates, before and after photos, or an invoice for a project planning spreadsheet that would form the basis of my call with Barbie…which never happened. She was a no-show three times. When I finally baited Ick into responding, the dodging began: 📌 Stall tactic: “I’m in Mexico, I’ll deal with this later.” 📌 Dodging responsibility: “I didn’t know I was paying for this.” 📌 Ghosting: Fastest-texter-when-needs-something turned one-man witness protection program enrollee. 📌 Didn’t open or understand the spreadsheet: “If she doesn’t like something you do because you didn’t listen, do I have to pay again?” 📌 Lowball offer: “I’ll send you $250, and we’ll go from there.” (Balance was $585.) At one point, I suggested this was a cash flow issue for him, just to tickle his ego. Funny how fast that got a response. But this wasn’t about money. It was about character. The Moral of the Story? If someone makes you chase for money they *know* they owe you, they never planned to pay. 🚩 Lightning-fast to approve work, painfully slow to pay. 🚩 Rewriting agreements in hindsight. 🚩 Shifting blame to avoid accountability. 🚩 Breadcrumbing payments to keep you hooked. If someone makes me jump through hoops to get paid, I always choose to walk away with my time, dignity, and emotional energy intact. Professionals pay their bills. Scammers run for the hills. Ever had a client pull this nonsense? What’s the worst excuse you’ve heard? Drop your wildest stories below. 👇 Iulia Victoria Fiona Vanessa Stephanie

I thought I was too smart for organizing. Turns out, it's my superpower. 💪 Growing up, I loved organizing. You could often find me on bended knee in a kitchen (any kitchen), with my head and hands out of sight busily reworking a lower cupboard, or quietly rearranging your pantry. But back then, organizing wasn’t considered “career material.” People told me I was destined for something bigger, more challenging. So, I listened. What did I know? I excelled academically, initially set my sights on becoming a cardiologist, and then later followed progressively strategic corporate leadership paths. Despite enjoying tremendous career challenges and growth, achieving success on my evolving terms, receiving generous accolades, and having a résumé I am damn proud of, *something* was always missing. I was good at many things, so opportunities abound, but little satisfied me intrinsically. And what I *did* enjoy? No clear career paths. My natural inclination for organization was consistently recognized, praised, and leveraged throughout my career but always with this underlying clerical (i.e. limiting) connotation. Or it was looked upon as a Stacie-ism. I remember a time in my mid-20s when my roommates and I had an issue with our (psychotic) landlord. I initiated a filing with the Landlord and Tenant Board, documented, dated, and detailed *everything* that I neatly housed in a red file folder. While my roommates road-tripped across Canada, I bravely and confidently pled our case (yes…we won). These roommates - also at the time some of my besties - thought the red file folder, while impressive, was "so cute". For me, though, staying organized was second nature—and in this particular instance...necessary and obvious. My world changed when I discovered - not too long ago - that professional organizing is an actual industry, as I accidentally and serendipitously stumbled upon it. It was humbling. I assumed my natural talent was all I needed, but I quickly realized organizing professionally required far more. I had so much learning ahead, and that thrilled me. I dove headfirst, absorbing everything I could about the nuances of the industry and the client needs that created its growing demand. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only could I parlay my corporate leadership skills into this new career, but that it was absolutely necessary. It is actually what most differentiates my company from the others. Seven years later, I’m not just an the owner/operator of an organizing business. I’m an industry problem-solver, innovator, thought leader, and aspiring disruptor. Organizing isn’t “cute.” It's transformative. Many clients will tell you our services have been life-changing. Others will swear we saved their lives. Have you discovered your superpower yet? Sometimes, it's hiding where you least expect. I'd love to hear your story. Iulia Stratan Victoria Desiri Stephanie Chong, C.Tech Vanessa Bravo Rachel Schwartzman Michael Cooper

DIY decluttering is like starting an endless puzzle with missing pieces. You start with good intentions. You buy all the cute bins. You order your own label maker from Amazon. You watch (study!) YouTube videos, going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. And you follow every decluttering "expert" on Instagram and TikTok. Sounds like a great plan, with a well-informed you! So what's the problem? What happens? Life. That's what happens. Life happens. You get interrupted. Things pile up again. That "decluttering day" gets postponed—again. And again. And again... Why? Because decluttering is WAY more than just "putting things away." To so many people's surprise - DIYers and outsourcers alike - decluttering and organizing is a thinking job. It’s: → Decision fatigue → Confronting difficult emotions → Revealing broken or non-existent systems And here’s something people rarely talk about: Decluttering is HARD. It’s not just about "time." It’s labor-intensive, physically demanding, and emotionally draining: ✅ Sorting through endless piles (hours on your feet). ✅ Making hundreds of rapid-fire decisions (exhausts your brain). ✅ Removing the purge - hauling out heavy bags or boxes (physical work). DIYers often underestimate this part, and here’s why so many give up: They often don’t have, or find it difficult to maintain: ✔️ An unbiased perspective (too emotionally attached). ✔️ The know-how to create sustainable systems (bins don’t fix everything). ✔️ Energy alongside dealing with life (a superpower you don't need). Years ago, I used DIY solutions too. But I quickly learned that having “natural organizational skills” was only part of what is required (like, barely even half) and that effective decluttering/ organizing is the intersection of dozens of skills to create systems that WORK FOR LIFE. Which are as unique as the people who need them. Now, I help Gen Xers overcome by major life events - illness, the end of a relationship, homelessness, financial insecurity, and/or facing big transitions - downsizing, empty-nesting, or managing aging/deceased parents' homes -deal with these challenges. Preferably proactively and in a financially manageable way. Because decluttering isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about: → Spending your time where you most want to. → Freeing up space for what matters. → Alleviating anxiety, overwhelm, and fear. → Regaining peace you didn’t realize you’d lost. DIY seems like the way to go because these are fundamental tasks we *should* be able to manage on our own. There is shame and stigma in outsourcing organizing but, sometimes, the only way to get long-lasting results is to ask for help, call the professionals, and enjoy a return on your investment in real-time. What’s been your biggest hurdle with decluttering? Iulia Stratan Victoria Desiri Stephanie Chong, C.Tech Fiona Scott Vanessa Bravo

Hopefully these screenshots post in order so the sequence of events is easy to follow. 🤞 Thoughts? Do you think I was too harsh? How would you have responded? Career coaches, recruiters, employment agencies…please help! 🙈🙈🙈 #professionalorganizers #declutteryourmesswithSOS #shakingmyhead #whendidwegetsoeffinglazy #hiringwoes #sendhelpandwine Liza Voticky, CIR Lori Dassas Ponte HRM Brina Ludwig Prout Gabe Austerweil (Ross) Mary Belec, CHRL Amy Davies Mary Ann Kaczmarek Lisa Borden Lisa Brennan Victoria Desiri Iulia Stratan Stephanie Potter Stephanie Chong, C.Tech Fiona Scott

If you are interested in the opportunity below, how are you applying? Of 40+ applicants, how many do you think followed the instructions laid out? #professionalorganizers #declutteryourmesswithSOS #wearehiring #followinginstructions #thedeclineofjobcandidatequality Tracy Posner Lori Dassas Ponte HRM Lisa Brennan Liza Voticky, CIR Victoria Desiri Iulia Stratan Stephanie Chong, C.Tech Stephanie Potter Fiona Scott